This review of the Lionel Legacy Acela High Speed Train Set is by Chris Montagna of the popular Chris’s Trains and Things channel on YouTube. One of the more highly-anticipated models from Lionel in its 2021 Volume 1 catalog was the re-release of the Acela High-Speed Train Set. We’ve come to expect Lionel to re-release […]
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Vulcan Locomotives Vol. 2: Steam and Diesel Locomotives from SilverLake Images LLC
Book: Vulcan Locomotives Vol. 2: Steam and Diesel Locomotives Price: $35 Publisher: SilverLake Images LLC, available from Ron’s Books, P.O. Box 714, Harrison, NY 10528, 914-967-7541, ronsbooks.com Vulcan Locomotives Vol. 2: Steam and Diesel Locomotives contents: This volume contains a number of Vulcan publications, including: Electric haulage and gathering locomotives Vulcan 35 to Class HW-35 […]
MBTA returning new Orange Line cars to service
BOSTON — New railcars pulled from service on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Orange Line are beginning to be returned to operation as of this morning (Monday, May 23) after a braking problem on one car led to sidelining of the equipment. The Boston Globe reports that preliminary findings determined one bolt in a braking […]
CP potash train derails in Alberta
FORT MACLEOD, Alberta — Forty-three cars of a Canadian Pacific potash train derailed Sunday morning, CTV News reports. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the incident occurred about 8:15 a.m. east of Fort Macleoad and about 170 kilometers (105 miles) south of Calgary. No injuries were reported and there was no public safety hazard from […]
MxV Rail begins work on rail test loop
PUEBLO, Colo. — Work has begun on a 5.8-mile loop track at the rail testing facility being developed by MxV Rail, the Association of American Railroads affiliate formerly known as Transportation Technology Center, Inc. The test loop is part of the facility begin developed at Pueblo Plex, the former U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot east […]
Canadian National hires search firm to find French-speaking board member
MONTREAL — Canadian National has hired a Montreal-based search firm to help find a French-speaking member for its board of directors, the railroad has announced. The announcement came as part of a Friday statement announcing the election of a new board chairwoman and 10 other board members. New board chairwoman Shauneen Bruder said the railroad […]
Man receives 5 years in prison for incident with knife on Amtrak train
MADISON, Wis. — A 32-year-old Portland, Ore., man has been sentenced to five years in prison for intentionally interfering with an Amtrak conductor in a November 2020 incident aboard the Empire Builder. A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin says Timothy Thomas pleaded guilty to the charge on […]
VIA Rail Canada CEO Garneau resigns
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada CEO Cynthia Garneau has resigned, Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has announced. The resignation was announced and effective on Friday, May 20. “I would like to thank Ms. Garneau for her service,” Alghabra said in a statement, “and her work over the past three years in contributing to the modernization […]
News photos: Another trip with freight cars for Reading & Northern 2102
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern accumulated more break-in mileage for its former Reading Co. T-1 steam locomotive No. 2102 on a short freight movement Friday (May 20, 2022), ferrying 100 empty coal hoppers to be delivered to an anthracite shipper near Tamaqua, Pa. It was a follow-up to the April 26 break-in run […]
7 great Lionel accessories from its golden years
These 7 great Lionel accessories from the prewar and postwar periods are the ones we think are the tops. This “best of” list is based on quality design, sturdy construction, and general appeal. Don’t agree with our list? Drop us a line at editor@ClassicToyTrains.com, and thanks for reading. There’s more information on many of these […]
Railroads report on-time performance to federal regulators for first time
WASHINGTON – The Class I railroads submitted their first batch of expanded performance metrics to federal regulators this week, including a snapshot of on-time performance data. The board on May 6 ordered the railroads to report the data beginning this week in response to shipper complaints and testimony delivered during two days of hearings last […]
Reading & Northern takes delivery of first frac sand train
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern took delivery of its first unit train of frac sand on May 15. Norfolk Southern delivered the 75-car train to R&N’s North Reading Yard, where R&N crews were on hand with a five-unit set of SD40-2s to bring the train 120 miles north to R&N’s Sand Storage facility […]